Metallica

ukevents · Joined: 15 Dec 2003 Posts: 1980

Metallica. My Favourite Most Dreaded Gig.

Jay Morey

I have to admit that I like my music to be on the softer side pf rock. Magic Numbers, Editors. The closest I come to head banging is listening to Klaxons and Meatloaf after a few JDs. Maybe even a bit of Queen. So when I was given a ticket to Metallica to accompany my partner, it wouldn’t be too much to say I was dreading it. Heavy metal has always been something that made my teeth hurt. If I stumbled across Kerrang TV I’d sit incredulous for maybe five seconds before switching onto Magic.

Metallica, the Gods of metal, played Earls Court in 2004. I sat in amongst an audience I was sad to say I’d stereotyped log before. Yes, there were big burly men with tattoos, silver piercings and gangs of guys drinking beer and moshing before the music had begun. But there were also women, plain dressed students types and a few guys in their fifties dressed like they’d just escaped a particularly nasty office meeting.

Godsmack supported, a band I quite enjoyed. They did an old Undertaker entrance track, and they played it loud and unashamedly to the crowds trundling in and out buying pizzas. Green strobe lighting and lasers swam over my vision and I was thankful to find my ears hadn’t begun to bleed. Two guys sat to the other side of me in the middle tier. A couple of already hammered American guys from Missouri who made it part of their of lives to follow Metallica whenever they could. They ate pizza slices hungrily and told me what to expect from the gig. Loads of crowd-pleasers as well as most of the then new album, St. Anger, and as I was sat next to them, I had to get up whether I wanted to or not.

And when Metallica took to the stage I was shocked. They sounded great, my ears were pain-free for most of the gig and the crowd was magic. Good natured head banging, moshing, and a very comfortable lead man in gifted James Hetfield, who made a point of talking to the crowd. ‘Anyone’s first Metallica gig?’ he asked. A couple of thousand hands went up ‘That’s okay…’ he said cheekily. The rest of the band, drummer Lars, new guitarist Robert and king of the bass Kurt were astonishing to watch. Powerplays, practiced to perfection, drumming that resounded in perfect time and heavy metal that actually had me up and nodding along with the two guys from Missouri. They tapped me and made me stand with them while they played a mean air guitar for most of the gig. Well, I had promised. Songs for the black album sounded fresh, the odd track from Reload was brilliant,

After the first encore, James came back out to say ‘F** it. One more man.’ I stayed to the end with a new found love for metal, the people who go to the gigs and the bands themselves. They work so hard to make a great live show and belters of songs. My partner however will still not believe that I had a great time and that I’m looking forward to July the 8th when they play the new Wembley. Roll on the metal!

Buy Metallica here